Pendulum-operated swing



Feb. 10, 1953 M, PRUETT PENDULUM-OPERATED SWING Filed June 18, 1946 Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PENDULUM-OPERATED SWING Mack M. Pruett, Faye, Ky.

Application June 18, 1946, Serial No. 677,580

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a swing primarily for use by an infant, and especially aim to provide a means whereby the infant may be swung without labor on the part of the mother or other nurse, and enabling such mother or other nurse to otherwise advantageously spend her time.

It is particularly aimed to provide a structure wherein the swing or equivalent is operable by the pendulum of clockworks.

A further object is to provide a construction wherein the swing or equivalent is adjustable as to position along the pendulum and also as to weight in order to balance the load of the swing with the infant therein, with due regard to the increase in weight of the infant as he becomes older.

Further, an object is to enable the clockworks also to function as usual in indicating time.

Various additional objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment by way of example.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of the improved structure in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a view of the said structure in end elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly broken away.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, I provide a suitable frame or support generally designated H], which may be of any suitable size and dimensions, for instance four feet high. This frame has a platform or support at the top as at l I, and angularly disposed legs l2, one at each corner, with such top and legs suitably braced as at l 3.

Co-acting with and within the frame is a swing generally designated M, which may be of any appropriate size, material and shape. It may be in the form of a basket, bed, box, crib, bassinette, or the like, in which an infant may be placed. Such swing I4 is adapted to contain bedding as at l5. Surmounting and suitably secured to the support II as at 16 is a clockworks l1. Such clockworks may be of any conventional type, for instance that having a spring motor adapted to be manually or otherwise wound. Such clockworks I! operates a pendulum device as at 18 in the usual or conventional manner, and the swin I4 is supported from such penduthe actuation of the clock or spring motor thereof.

The pendulum device may consist of a single pendulum as is usual in clockworks of the spring motor type, or it may consist of similar pendulum elements as at l9, one at the front of the clock and one at the rear of the clock, suitably connected together for unitary pendulum operation or oscillation. The pendulum elements depend through and move in suitable spaces or clearance through the support I l in order to suspend the swing l4. Said swing 14 has suspending devices 23, one at each side thereof, and including sleeves 2| at the apices of the downwardly diverging arm's thereof, such sleeves having openings 22 therethrough enlarged with respect to the pendulum elements l8 so that the latter depend loosely therethrough. The lower portions of the pendulum element are screwthreaded as at 23, and nuts 24 are screw-threaded thereon to form seats or mountings for the sleeves 2|, and the lower ends of the latter are preferably spherical as at 25, so that as the swing 14 moves back and forth, it will always be in a vertical position as the opening 22 and surface 25 permit slight relative movement between the swing, pendulum elements and nuts 24.

The parts may be, for example, so proportioned and arranged as to accommodate and balance a load consisting of the swing and infant or approximately thirty-five pounds, and to be adjusted so as to be balanced for a lesser weight and also for a greater weight as the infant gradually increases in weight through growth. This end may be attained in part by adjusting the lum 18 in order to be swung or moved back and and also through the adjustment of weight means as at 26.

Such weight means 26 consist of extensions 21 at the base of the swing having pegs 2B rising therefrom, and each accommodating a plurality of individual, disk-like weights or poises 29, all of similar size and centrally of the aperture so that any one or more of the same may be applied to or removed from the pegs 28 to effect the desired balancing.

In addition to the clockworks I! being of sufficient size and power to operate the swing M with a to and fro motion from the pendulum device I8, such clockworks I! may function as usual, especially for the benefit of the mother, other nurse, or attendant, the clookworks bein shown equipped with the usual hour and minute hands at least, as at 30 and 3|, respectively, coacting with a dial 32.

It is also within the purview of my invention to provide means to limit the period of actuation of the pendulum or of the clockworks, so that the same will automatically stop as an aid to the mother, nurse or attendant.

Various changes may be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus of theclass described comprising a clock mechanism support means therefor, said clock mechanism having a pendulum element at the front and a pendulum element at the rear, said pendulum elements being parallel and oper atively depending from the clock mechanism at the axis of rotation of the hands thereof and terminating below said clock mechanism, nuts threaded on the lower portions of said pendulum elements, a swing member, parallel rigid suspending devices on said swing member, each suspending device comprising a pair of upwardly converging arms having a sleeve connecting them together at their upper ends, said pendulum elementsextending loosely through the respective MACK PRUET'I.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number :Name Date 198,405 McNeal Dec. 18, 1877 236,545 Brown Jan. 11, 1881 277,753 Logan May 15, 1883 400,753 Davies Apr. 2, 1889 1,227,984 Vanderburgh May 29, 1917 1,270,417 Jones June '25, 1918 

